Page 26 - SEPTEMBE 2018 Newsletter

Military leave of absence procedure
Greetings, my fraternal brothers and sisters. The National Guard and the Reserve formations have slowed their operational tempo; therefore, more of their units have reverted to their traditional an- nual training (AT) schedule in the summer season. In the last couple of months, I’ve received several calls about officers who
had AT orders for 14 or 15 days but were
told their AT may be extended with an ad- ditional order for up to 29 days.
The officers wanted to know how to submit a Military Leave of Absence Form (CPD-11.840) for the additional days
in which they have no orders. You should request from your mil- itary commanding officer a letter stating the dates of the exten- sion. Complete the Military Leave of Absence report explaining the first order and the dates of the extension. Attach the original order along with the letter from your military commanding of- ficer to the Military Leave of Absence Form and submit. Once you receive your order, or when you return, submit the second order. I suggest you work with your unit timekeeper and have a copy of the EO 01-14 for him or her.
The VA Mission Act. On June 6, President Trump signed leg- islation paving the way for a major overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and expanded access for veterans to VA-funded care in the private sector. The measure delivers on a key campaign promise for President Trump, who pledged to provide veterans with more non-VA healthcare choices. Known as the VA Missio Act, the law directs the VA to combine a num-
ber of existing private-care programs, including the so-called Choice program, which was created in 2014 after veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix VA. The law provides
pre-9/11 veterans with benefits to help cover the cost of in- home caregivers. Such benefits previously were provided only to post-9/11 veterans. Much more is in this law but as you may have guessed, the VA has been slow to im- plement many aspects. I’ll keep you posted as this law
comes online in our VA region.
Respect for the Navy. As a young Army platoon lead-
er, I was sent to Subic Bay in the Republic of the Philip- pines. It was my first encounter with our sister branch, the Navy. I learned quickly that most sailors live incredibly well when on land. After about two weeks, there was an attempt to overthrow the government of President Corazon Aquino. Life changed rather quickly, but thanks to those in the Navy Jungle Warfare School, I observed firsthand that there are sailors who know how to operate on land. Since then, I’ve had the highest respect for all sailors and the Navy. To quote President John F. Kennedy, “I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.’” So in the spirit of brotherhood and with the utmost respect, I’ll say to my naval friends on Oct. 13, “Happy 243rd Birthday to the Navy.” d
If you have a question or comment, please send me an email at LTC_Cruz@wowway.com.
JERRY CRUZ
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26 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2018